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<title>Day 354 by Josh_the_Bard</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199907">Day 354</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard'>Josh_the_Bard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [354]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:21:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>508</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199907</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [354]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Day 354</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sketch stood in the empty room and smiled softly to himself. After all this time he was finally here. The resolutionists had not known what this room was, only that the Veil was paper thin here, it was almost difficult not to cast spells here. But the whispers of demons were strong as well. Hunger, despair, fear, all had a veritable feast here in the undercity. But there were a few demons of Pride as well. These were ancient beings, not drawn by the people living here now, but by those who were here long ago. But those events had long since passed into legend.</p><p>There were grooves to let blood flow out of this room and into the sewers, as well as drains in the roof to let blood from other chambers flow in. Menacing looking spikes jutted out from the ground and walls, some still looked sharp enough to impale victims on (the resolutionist might have done just that not two weeks ago.) Six alters sat in a ring at the center of the room circling a larger seventh. One alter for each of the Old Gods of Tevinter. Whatever this room was used for, it required priests of each God and an unprecedented amount of blood. </p><p>Sketch swallowed a lump in his throat. Curiosity had drawn him here, even against good sense. Now that he was here, however, fear crept into his mind. If he peered through the Veil here, what would he find? A reflection of Kirkwall? of Arlathan? The Black city itself? Could you become corrupted simply by visiting the Black City in your dreams, he wondered. The lore said the Magisters had to go physically, but no one had managed the feat, in waking or in sleeping, for a thousand years.</p><p>He had spent too much time and risked too much to turn back now. Sketch set some wards and set up a pile of pillows for him to sleep on. Then he had a mug of warmed milk and laid down to sleep.</p><p>The world that greeted him was black. Darkness coated every inch of the area, though he approached everything with a healthy dose of skepticism. This could be the Fade showing him what he expected to see. Tentatively, he touched the wall, it felt like stone. When he pulled his hand away he was unaffected by the darkness, he was the single bright thing in the world.</p><p>“You have traveled far, little elf,” came a booming voice. Sketch felt as though the creature were speaking from inside his skull.</p><p>“I come seeking knowledge,” he called out. “What is this place? What has kept you here?”</p><p>“This place?” the voice replied. “This place is a cage, meant to hold things even gods fear. As for why I remain, I knew that someday someone would come seeking answers so I lingered, patiently. Many have tried in the centuries since but you are the first to succeed. Stay a while little elf, and I will show you secrets lost to the ages.”</p>
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